Beyond Chaos – A DiceRPG

‘What is it?’ Zayan thought, all the while the half elf perused the various books along with that smart fool, who he couldn’t help but feel sorry for. There was something about the half elf, now that he was looking at the Mo with a keener eye, which seemed to be…

What was it?

It was his senses as a Grandmaster, perhaps not quite as experienced as many, for much of his life was lived while fighting within dirty alleyways, and then in war, and against all manner of beasts, his way of fighting almost as wild as the beasts he fought, but even so, now, those beastly instincts of his, no longer blinded by his ego, were telling him not so fall for it, but what was it, this it, which bothered him so?

“Do you have any recommendations for a little girl, who is adorable, who loves to bully her father, because even though she is five years old, she is so smart, so wise, just like her beautiful mother, so mature, and so vicious?” Adam asked, unable to hide his adoration for his daughter.

‘Ah,’ Tamil thought, for though Adam was this dangerous stranger, he seemed so familiar. ‘He is like…’

The half elf continued to mumble this and that about his daughter, unable to stop showing off about his children, even his daughter who bullied him so viciously, and even the other, who was taught by her elder sister well.

“There are many,” Tamil said, his mind flashing with the numerous books already, his feet guiding him to one side without a thought. There were plenty of books for five year olds, but the Mo wasn’t just talking about books for a five year old to read, but a book for a mature girl who loved to read. If she was a genius as her father was suggesting, then he would need to pick a few books that would…

No, he couldn’t think like that.

“There are many books, too many, to suggest,” Tamil admitted. “I will suggest several books, which should cover a wide breadth of interests. If you return to Arisa with those she has interest in, and return the books she has no interest in, I will exchange them for others.”

“You don’t have to worry about something like that, even if she doesn’t have an interest in it, I’m sure others will, so please, recommend me a great many books, and I will buy them,” the half elf said.

“The books are rather expensive, Mo, just how many books do you intend to buy?”

“How much is each book?”

“There are those which are cheaper because they are produced through blocks, those which are very popular, they sell for fifty silver or so, but there are those which cost one hundred, two hundred, five hundred, depending on their size, and if you wish to procure a book for a collection,” Tamil said, smiling wide. “Morning Poems by Kal Imru al-Qais, was sold for one hundred thousand but a decade ago. Although, the Book of Hope was sold for over six hundred thousand upon the turn of the millennium, and it was a shame we were unable to procure such, for the Shen’s wealth is such.”

“Sixty thousand gold for a book?” Adam whistled, though swiftly stopped, realising this place was half a library.

“I believe the Great Lord Sulayman al-Walid, the Shen of Shens, spent tens of thousands for multiple books, but, the first ever Book of Light, was bought for five million silver.”

‘Five hundred thousand gold?’ Adam thought, blinking, the half elf turning to the side, needing a moment to compose himself. “How much has the world’s greatest weapon gone for?”

Tamil furrowed his brows, focusing on the story which tickled the back of his mind, trickling within. “The Sword of Alluard Murad was sold for ten million silver during the White Plague, a few hundred years ago, when the Golden Fariq disappeared unexpectedly and his blade was lost for a generation, though it was eventually auctioned by a mysterious figure who disappeared after earning the coin.”

“He must not have gotten far with all that silver weighing him down,” Adam said, holding Tamil’s gaze, the half elf’s eyes gleaming as he did his best not to break.

Tamil smiled, returning back to finding the books for the half elf, who glanced aside and whispered that he had said a funny joke, which was fine, because he was no Iyrman, therefore he was allowed to lie.

“Oh, right, uh, we’ll say my budget is… I don’t know, I’ll see once we buy the books, I suppose.”

‘Ah? He is so wealthy?’

“Also, do you have any books in drakken, or something with the drakken alphabet?”

“There are books with passages in drakken, and for the drakken alphabet, I can request someone to scribe it on a few sheets, if you wish,” Tamil offered.

“Perfect, thank you.”

Adam noted the titles of the books, those of general history, thick and large, and wide, and though there were many which were part of a set, the book Tamil chose seemed to be self contained. There were others too, those of heroes, myths, legends, religion, a book of dragons, and even a collection of poetry. The half then realised Jirot could not read Aswadic, but decided against mentioning that, since she was such a smart girl, even if she did not know Aswadic today, she would know it tomorrow.

“So,” Adam said, all the while Tamil wrapped the books within paper sheets, long sheets of fabric ready to protect the paper sheets, the final layer a thin layer of leather. “How did you marry the good Lady?”

“It was a day of rain when I saved her life,” Tamil replied, cutting the sheets of paper effortlessly to size, without the need to measure too deeply. “Her grandfather thought to marry us, intending to repay my bravery.”

The smile upon Tamil’s face said more to Adam, enough that the half elf felt awkward asking further questions. He considered what he should say, and though he wished to show off about his wife, speaking about himself in this manner might be a little too foolish, even for the likes of him.

“I am so blessed, with the title of Steward, I am able to live this dream, to live within a library as grand as this, and other libraries too, though this is one of the largest across Arisa, and perhaps the land, and the pay? The pay is more than well!” Tamil’s smile grew even wider, snipping the string, tying it with a deft hand. “I control the budget and many fine books find their way to me, and though the silver slips between my fingers, sometimes there are fine guests, such as yourself, who I am able to assist, and who will allow me to procure even more. Sometimes, such honoured guests are dragons, who are eager to spend their wealth here, and sometimes, who are eager to hand over books for chests of silver.”

‘He seems happy enough,’ Adam thought, handing over the chest of silver Tamil so loved, spending hundreds of gold on the books.

As the half elf left, promising to take Zayan for drinks later in the evening, Zayan waved a hand, laughing, though once the half elf was gone, he returned back to his thoughts.

“What is it?” Aliya asked.

“That young man…” Zayan fell silent once more, trying to gather his thoughts. What could he say? He couldn’t exactly admit there was something off about him, something beyond what he could see. “Now that I see him clearly, so close, I can sense something.”

“You always worry too much.”

“No, it is not that,” the fellow replied, reaching up to his brow, rubbing it gently, brushing the silvered hair. “It is nothing.”

“You noticed as well, akhi?” Tamil called, smiling innocently.

“What did you notice?” Zayan asked.

“I noticed he was the kind of figure who can spend chests of silver with ease, his hands calloused, his mind heavy with burden,” Tamil replied.

‘Why do you always speak like that?’ Zayan thought, but what could he do, since Tamil was untouchable, no matter how much he wished to beat the fellow.

Since both her husband and her guard were so interested in the half elf, she would need to read the reports sent to her that evening with more fervour. Thankfully, however, it seemed the half elf would speak with Zayan over drinks that evening, so it wouldn’t be too hard to find out more about him.

“Oh? Who are these I spot?” called a voice, stepping into the library, a figure with hair like copper, eyes as deep as the ocean, and skin as dark as night. Tall, lean, handsome, wearing a blade at his side was made of what looked to be silver, wearing a thick coat over his shalwar.

“Kal, how wonderful to see you,” Aliya replied, smiling a smile ready to earn gold.

“It is my fortune to meet you here,” the fellow said, smiling wide. “There is much gold to spend, and now that I see your faces, perhaps I should spend my own gold too?”

“Young Kal, if you had arrived a short while ago, you would have met some great companions,” Zayan said.

“Some great companions?” the dark skinned fellow asked, his curiosity peaked, for there were few who could do so for the Seneschal of the Sleeping Dragon of Arisa.